Govt authorises new ferry to ply Entebbe -Kalangala route

KAMPALA. Ministry of Works andTransport yesterday authorised a second private company -Safe Havens Uganda Limited, to use the Nakiwogo route in Entebbe to Lutoboka, Buggala Islands in Kalangala District ferry people and property as MV Kalangala remains grounded undergoing repairs in Mwanza, Tanzania.

The company manager, Mr David Maseli, told the Daily Monitor that the ministry gave them a go ahead to bring FB Mugendi ferry to work hand in hand with MV Amani and to keep alternating until MV Kalangala returns.

“Earthwise has been doing well but people with vehicles and heavy cargo have been suffering and we have come to bridge the gap,” he said in an interview with the Daily Monitor.

He said that the ferry will leave Entebbe every day at 2pm and reach Kalangala at 5pm and leaves Lutoboka at 8am to reach Entebbe at 11am but would see how to manage their schedules when MV Kalangala returns.

He said that FB Mugendi charges Shs15,000 1st class and Shs10,000 economy class like MV Kalangala and has a capacity of 300 people and 15 vehicles.MV Kalangala has been the only active Ugandan vessel on Lake Victoria before FB Mugendi came to support it.

Services restoredTourists, business people and travellers from Kalangala, who used to travel with MV Kalangala have been stranded since January 9 when they found out the vessel had been taken to Mwanza to undergo repair. The new vessel FB Mugendi from Tanzania will work with Earthwise Ferries (U) Ltd to restore the East African waterway transportation through the introduction of new, safe, reliable and fast passenger ferries on Lake Victoria until MV Kalangala retuns.